Heinz Wants To Buy A Boat For Man Who Survived On Ketchup At Sea
Photo 156307634 © Liamwh7 | Dreamstime.com
If you were stranded at sea, which three things would you carry with you?
A man got to live out this much-considered scenario last December, when he was fixing his sailboat off the island of St Martin in the Netherlands Antilles, and it drifted off to sea from the strong currents.
On the vessel was ketchup, garlic powder, and Maggi seasoning cubes, which 47-year-old Elvis Francois from the Caribbean island of Dominica had lived on throughout the 24 days he was stuck on the water. To hydrate, he drank rainwater that he’d gathered in a piece of cloth.
Francois said his friends and coworkers had tried to reach his phone but there was no service. Luckily, a passing plane eventually spotted the ‘Help’ signal he’d written on the boat’s hull.
The sailor was rescued by naval officers and taken to the Port of Cartagena for medical aid. When they determined he was in good health, officials took the necessary actions to safely get him home.
Desde el aire se estableció la ubicación del velero en emergencia que tenía la palabra “HELP” (Ayuda) grabada sobre su casco.
— Armada de Colombia (@ArmadaColombia) January 18, 2023
Se dio aviso a las unidades en tierra y mar, donde el buque mercante CMA CGM VOLTARIO se unió a la labor de rescate.#ProtegemosLaVida âš“ pic.twitter.com/DSGZU6fdeK
Moved by this tale, Heinz has launched an international search party to locate the man, as it wants to buy him a new boat.
“To whoever finds this message, we need your help tracking down an amazing man with an amazing story,” the company urges on Instagram. “You may remember Elvis Francois as the brave sailor who survived on nothing but ketchup and spices while adrift at sea for 24 days.”
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It continues: “Well, Heinz wants to celebrate his safe return home and help him buy a new boat… but we can’t seem to find him. So we’re setting this message adrift into the sea of the internet, because if anyone can help us find him, it’s you.” The brand adds that anyone with information on how to contact the seaman can drop it a direct message.
Heinz says it has already reached out to the government of Dominica and the Colombian navy, but its pleas have been in vain.
A spokesperson for Heinz tells CBS News that the company plans to send the man a brand-new, “state-of-the-art boat” with “full navigational technology” so he can steer clear from similar mishaps in the future. The representative adds that the brand has also engaged the help of Heinz markets from around the world to locate its hero.
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[via New York Post and CBS News, images via various sources]
